Softball Recap: Illinois Valley Central Snags Eighth Victory in Last Ten Games

Grey Ghosts

Margin (Wins)

04/02/25 @ Princeville	20
04/15/25 vs Hartsburg-Emden	19
04/05/25 @ Paxton-Buckley-Loda	17
04/08/25 @ Annawan-Wethersfield	16
03/28/25 @ Midland	15

Illinois Valley Central had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 19-run drubbing they dealt Hartsburg-Emden on Tuesday. The Grey Ghosts never let the Stags get on the board and left with a 19-0 victory. Considering the Grey Ghosts have won eight matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Jensyn Gustafson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two).

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Joharah Boze, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Nora Connett was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.

Illinois Valley Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .606. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Illinois Valley Central has been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Hartsburg-Emden, their loss was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-6.

Coming up, Illinois Valley Central will square off against Bureau Valley at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for Hartsburg-Emden, they will be playing at home against Midwest Central/Illini Central at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.